Container preventing contact with plastics

ABSTRACT

A container is disclosed, comprising a container body having an inner surface formed from a first non-plastics material, a neck forming a mouth of the container, and a lid removably attachable to the neck. A layer of a second non-plastics material is formed across a surface of the lid facing the inside of the container body when the lid is attached to the neck. The layer of the second non-plastics material extends across the mouth of the container so as to form a seal with the neck of the container when the lid is attached to the neck. The lid includes a sipper made of a third non-plastics material mounted in an opening formed in the lid. The layer of the second non-plastics material and the sipper are disposed so as to form a fluid-tight connection between them. The sipper is detachable from the lid and the sipper is held in place relative to the opening of the lid by upper and lower flanges. A method for manufacturing the container is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a container designed so that thecontents of the container do not come into contact with plastics. Theinvention also relates to a manufacturing method for such a container.

Food and drink containers typically use plastics materials due to theirlow cost and the ease with which plastics can be formed in a desiredshape. However, recent scientific evidence suggests that certain plasticcompounds can contaminate food and drink with which they come intocontact. In particular, various compounds such as Bisphenol-A and anumber of phthalates are widely agreed to present a health risk and havebeen declared to be toxic substances by some governmental authorities.These compounds are increasingly being banned and removed from food anddrink contact materials, and it is anticipated that more plasticcompounds will be identified as such in the future.

Accordingly, in order to protect consumers, there is a need for food anddrink containers designed so that their contents do not come intocontact with plastics.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda container comprising: a container body having an inner surface formedfrom a first non-plastics material; a neck forming a mouth of thecontainer; and a lid removably attachable to the neck; wherein a layerof a second non-plastics material is formed across a surface of the lidfacing the inside of the container body when the lid is attached to theneck; the layer of the second non-plastics material extends across themouth of the container so as to form a seal with the neck of thecontainer when the lid is attached to the neck; the lid includes asipper made of a third non-plastics material mounted in an openingformed in the lid; the layer of the second non-plastics material and thesipper are disposed so as to form a fluid-tight connection between them;the sipper is detachable from the lid; and the sipper is held in placerelative to the opening of the lid by upper and lower flanges.

The non-plastic inner surface of the lid forms a seal with the neck ofthe container and a fluid-tight connection is formed between the innersurface and the non-plastic sipper. Hence, there is no danger of thecontents of the container or the user's mouth coming into contact withplastics when liquid is drunk from the container. There is nopossibility of drink stored in a container according to the inventionbeing contaminated by plastic contact. Furthermore, the seal providedbetween the lid and the neck of the container by the non-plastic innersurface of the lid prevents leaks. The structure of the lid makes thecontainer of the invention particularly straightforward to manufacturewhile providing the above advantages.

Preferably, an upwardly projecting part is formed on the lower flange.More preferably, the upwardly projecting part is adapted to engage witha recess formed in the lid. In one embodiment, the recess is located sothat when the upwardly projecting part is engaged with the recess, apart of the lid is held between the upwardly projecting part and a wallof the sipper located between the upper and lower flanges.

Due to the engagement between the upwardly projecting part and therecess, a more secure attachment is formed between the sipper and thelid. This prevents the sipper from slipping out of the ringunintentionally, which can otherwise lead to the contents of thecontainer being spilled. The presence of the upwardly projecting partalso makes it less likely that liquid will seep out of the container viathe boundary between the sipper and the lid because the path out of thecontainer is made more circuitous.

Part of the lid is held between the upwardly projecting part and thewall of the sipper between the flanges. By virtue of the upwardlyprojecting part and the wall, the sipper holds part of the lid from bothsides in a lateral direction, and by virtue of the flanges, the sipperalso holds part of the lid from both sides in a vertical direction. Thisarrangement provides a particularly reliable and liquid-tight attachmentbetween the sipper and the lid.

Suitably, the upwardly projecting part is a rim formed around theperimeter of an upper surface of the lower flange. In one embodiment, aplurality of the upwardly projecting parts are provided on the lowerflange.

Preferably, the first non-plastics material is a metal or metal alloy.Suitably, the first non-plastics material is steel. Preferably, at leastone of the second non-plastics material and the third non-plasticsmaterial is silicone.

In a preferred embodiment, a first thread is formed in an outer surfaceof the neck and a second thread adapted to engage with the first threadis formed in the lid. Preferably, at least one of the first and secondthreads is formed from a plastics material. More preferably, the firstthread is made of a metal or metal alloy and the second thread is madeof a plastics material.

Conveniently, the first and second threads are both made of a plasticsmaterial. In one embodiment, the first thread is made of a plasticsmaterial and the second thread is made of a metal or metal alloy.

Suitably, the neck comprises an extension of the container body and acollar member mounted around the outside of the extension of thecontainer body, the first thread being formed in the collar member.

In one embodiment, a handle is attached to the collar member.Preferably, the handle is integrally formed with the collar member.Alternatively, the handle is removably attached to the collar member.

Suitably, the layer of the second non-plastics material is a base of thesipper. Alternatively, the layer of the second non-plastics materialextends into the opening of the lid and forms a seal with the sipperwithin the opening of the lid.

Preferably, the sipper includes a lower flange fitted into a recess in awall of the opening of the lid, and the layer of the second non-plasticsmaterial abuts against the lower flange to form the seal.

In one embodiment, the container body comprises an inner wall and anouter wall separated by a gap. Suitably, the gap contains a partialvacuum or a foam insulating material.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda container comprising: a container body having an inner surface formedfrom a first non-plastics material; a neck forming a mouth of thecontainer; and a lid removably attachable to the neck; wherein a layerof a second non-plastics material is formed across an inner surface ofthe lid facing the inside of the container body when the lid is attachedto the neck; and a silicone plug is disposed in a peripheral part of theinner surface of the lid, the silicone plug being arranged to form aseal with the neck of the container when the lid is attached to theneck.

Preferably, the layer of the second non-plastics material is a siliconelayer and the silicone plug is formed by a peripheral part of thesilicone layer. Alternatively, the layer of the second non-plasticsmaterial is a stopper and the silicone plug is disposed in contact witha circumferential surface of the stopper. Preferably, the silicone plugforms a seal with a rim surrounding the mouth of the container.

Preferably, the entire inner surface of the container is formed fromnon-plastics materials when the lid is attached to the neck of thecontainer.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda container comprising: a container body including a single metal ormetal alloy wall; and a neck defining a mouth of the container; whereinthe neck includes an inner wall, which is part of the single metal ormetal alloy wall, and an outer wall attached to the inner wall at a rimof the mouth; the outer wall overlaps at least part of the inner wall;and a thread is formed in the outer surface of the outer wall.

Several methods for manufacturing stainless steel containers exist.These include the stretch method and the water expansion method. Thestretch method involves stretching a plate of stainless steel to thewidth of the mouth of the container and then extruding the shape of thecontainer from the sheet.

The water expansion method involves expanding a stainless steel tubeunder water pressure, shaping the neck and then closing the bottom ofthe container by welding a base onto it. A disadvantage of the waterexpansion method is that the manufacturing process leaves a seam, i.e. awelding line, whereas the stretch method does not leave a seam.

In previous single-walled metal containers, generally manufactured usingthe water expansion method, a thread is formed in the single-walled neckof the container so as to allow a lid to be screwed directly into theneck. The top of the neck may be rolled to leave a thick and rounded rimsuitable for drinking from.

It is desirable to use the stretch technique rather than the waterexpansion method to manufacture this type of container in certainapplications because the stretch method, unlike the water expansionmethod, avoids leaving a seam in the metal container. However, thepresent inventors have found that there is a problem with using thestretch method for this design. It is not possible to produce a rolledrim in the single wall forming the container body when manufacturing thecontainer using the stretch method, which results in the thread formedin the neck of the container being unstable. As a result, it is notpossible to produce a secure or reliable threaded engagement between thecontainer and a lid.

The present inventors have solved this problem by providing theadditional outer wall of the neck, the thread being formed in the outerwall. The outer wall can be manufactured separately from the body of thecontainer, which means that a thicker rim and more stable thread can beformed in the outer wall much more easily. Using the container accordingto the invention, the single wall of the container can be manufacturedusing any appropriate method, for example the stretch technique. Theouter wall of the neck can be manufactured using another methodoptimised for producing a thicker rim and more stable thread. Hence, thecontainer of the invention provides increased design freedom.

Preferably, the outer wall is also attached to the inner wall at a lowerend of the outer wall furthest from the rim.

The containers described above may be food containers, drinkscontainers, sports bottles, beakers or baby feeding bottles.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method for manufacturing a container comprising: a step ofmanufacturing a metal or metal alloy container body using a stretchtechnique; a step of manufacturing a metal or metal alloy neck outerwall having a thread formed in an outer surface thereof; and a step ofattaching the neck outer wall to a neck of the container body so thatthe neck outer wall overlaps at least part of the neck and the thread isformed in an outer surface of the neck of the container.

Suitably, the container body and the neck outer wall are made fromsteel.

Preferably, the neck outer wall is manufactured using a water expansiontechnique.

In one embodiment, the neck outer wall forms part of a container outerwall having a tubular shape, the method further comprising attaching abase section to the container outer wall so as to cover an opening atthe base of the container outer wall after the step of attaching theneck outer wall to a neck of the container body. Preferably, the methodfurther comprises filling a gap between the container body and thecontainer outer wall with foam via a hole formed in the base sectionafter the step of attaching the base section. Alternatively, the methodfurther comprises evacuating a gap between the container body and thecontainer outer wall via a hole formed in the base section after thestep of attaching the base section.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way offurther example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a single-walled container according to an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a double-walled container according to another embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3A shows a lid including a separate removable sipper for acontainer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B shows another lid including a separate removable sipper for acontainer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a lid including a silicone straw for a container accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A shows a lid for a container having a stopper according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B shows a lid for a container having a silicone layer according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows the container of FIG. 1 with the lid of FIG. 3A attached;

FIG. 7 shows a double-walled container with the lid of FIG. 3A attached;

FIG. 8 shows the container of FIG. 1 with the lid of FIG. 4 attached;

FIG. 9 shows the container of FIG. 2 with the lid of FIG. 5A attached;

FIG. 10 shows a double-walled container and lid including a sipperaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a double-walled container and lid according to anotherembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows a double-walled container including handles according toan embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 shows the double-walled container of FIG. 12 with a lidincluding a sipper.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a single-walled container according to anembodiment includes a container body 2 comprising a single wall 6 and athreaded neck 4. The container body 2 is made from stainless steel inthis embodiment and has no plastic lining. The neck 4 of the containeris made up of an extension of the wall 6 of the container body 2, whichforms an inner wall of the neck 4, and a sleeve 8, which forms an outerwall of the neck 4. The sleeve 8 is joined to the inner wall of the neck4 at the mouth of the container. The sleeve 8 is also made of stainlesssteel in this embodiment and the inner wall of the neck 4 is attached tothe sleeve 8 by welding. The join between the sleeve 8 and the innerwall of the neck 4 forms the rim 12 of the container.

A thread 10 is formed in the outer surface of the sleeve 8. The thread10 allows a lid to be screwed onto the neck 4 to seal the container.

Since the wall of the container body 2 and the sleeve 8 forming theouter wall of the neck 4 are formed separately, a thicker and morestable thread can be formed in the sleeve 8 and the two components canbe manufactured using techniques optimised for their respective designrequirements. For example, the container body 2 can be manufacturedusing a technique producing a seamless finish, such as the stretchtechnique. The sleeve 8 can be manufactured by an alternative suitablemethod.

FIG. 2 shows a double-walled container according to another embodiment.The container body 2 in this embodiment includes an inner wall 14 and anouter wall 16 separated by a gap 18. The gap 18 is filled with a partialvacuum in this embodiment but may alternatively be filled with aninsulating foam.

The dual wall embodiment provides hot and cold temperature insulationbetween the contents of the container and the external environment. Apartial vacuum provides a higher level of insulation than foam, but foamfilling is less expensive to manufacture and provides adequateinsulation for some applications.

The inner and outer walls 14, 16 are both made from stainless steel inthis embodiment, and at least the inner wall 14 has no plastic lining. Alining made from a non-plastics material may be used. The neck 4 of thecontainer is formed by an extension of the inner wall 14, which forms aninner wall of the neck 4, and an extension of the outer wall 16, whichforms an outer wall of the neck 4. The inner and outer walls 14, 16 arejoined at the mouth of the container at the top of the neck 4. The innerand outer walls 14, 16 are joined by welding.

A thread 10 is formed in the outer wall of the neck 4, allowing a lid tobe screwed onto the neck 4 to seal the container. A non-slip base 200 isattached to the bottom surface of the outer wall 16 of the containerbody 2, so that the container can be placed on a smooth surface withoutsliding. The non-slip base 200 is formed from a plastic material. Thenon-slip base 200 may also be provided on the single walled containerdescribed above.

Lids suitable for sealing both single-walled and double-walledcontainers according to the invention are shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4.The lid illustrated in FIG. 3A consists of a threaded plastics ring 20having an opening formed through its centre to provide fluidcommunication between the inside and the outside of the container. Theplastics ring 20 can be threadedly engaged with the neck 4 of thecontainer. A silicone sipper 22 is mounted within the opening so thatliquid can easily be drunk from the container without spillage. This lidis particularly suitable for baby feeding bottles and drinkware foryoung children.

The silicone sipper 22 extends from the inner surface of the plasticsring 20 through the opening to the outer top surface of the container.The sipper 22 includes a lower flange 24 in contact with the innersurface of the plastics ring 20 and an upper flange 26 in contact withthe outer top surface of the container. The sipper 22 extends across theentire diameter of the mouth of the container when the lid is screwedonto the container. Hence, there is no possibility of the contents ofthe container contacting the plastics material of the ring 20. Thesipper 22 is held in place covering the opening in the plastics ring 20by the two flanges 24, 26. A passage extending through the sipper 22from the lower flange 24 communicates with a sipper opening 28 throughwhich fluid can be drunk.

By using a non-plastic silicone sipper 22, plastic contact with thecontents of the container or a user's mouth is avoided. Furthermore, theperipheral part of the lower flange 24 of the sipper 22 contacts the rim12 of the container mouth when the lid is screwed onto the neck 4 of thecontainer. A silicone sipper 22 forms a good seal with the rim of themouth.

The lid shown in FIG. 3B differs from that shown in FIG. 3A in that itfurther includes an upwardly projecting part 24 a formed at theperimeter of the lower flange 24. The upwardly projecting part 24 a is arim formed around the circumference of the lower flange 24 in thisembodiment, but may also consist of one or more discrete projectionsformed on the lower flange 24.

The upwardly projecting part 24 a fits into a recess 20 a having acomplementary shape, the recess 20 a being formed in the lower surfaceof the upper wall of the threaded plastics ring 20. As a result of theengagement between the upwardly projecting part 24 a and the recess 20a, a part 20 b of the threaded plastic ring is held laterally betweenthe upwardly projecting part 24 a and the body of the sipper 22 betweenthe flanges 24, 26. This results in a more secure attachment between thesipper 22 and the threaded plastics ring 20, preventing the sipper 22from slipping out of the ring 20 unintentionally.

The presence of the upwardly projecting part 24 a also makes it lesslikely that liquid will seep out of the container via the boundarybetween the sipper 22 and the ring 20 because the path out of thecontainer is made more circuitous. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 3Aand 3B, the upwardly projecting part 24 a forms an additional obstaclein the potential leakage path between the outer edge of the lower flange24 and the outer edge of the upper flange 26.

The lid illustrated in FIG. 4 consists of a threaded plastics cap 30having a passage formed through its centre through which an integratedsilicone straw 34 provides fluid communication between the inside andthe outside of the container. The plastics cap 30 can be threadedlyengaged with the neck 4 of the container. The silicone straw 34 ismounted within the passage so that liquid can easily be drunk from thecontainer without spillage. This lid is particularly suitable for sportsbottles.

The silicone straw 34 extends below the plastics cap 30 into thecontainer body. The straw 34 is held in place in the passage of the cap30 by upper and lower silicone flanges 36, 38. The upper flange 36 isdisposed on the top surface of the cap 30, whereas the lower flange 38is disposed within the passage and fits into a ring-shaped recess in thewall of the passage.

The inner surface of the plastics cap 30 is covered by a layer ofsilicone 32, which extends across the entire diameter of the mouth ofthe container when the lid is screwed onto the container. The siliconelayer 32 extends into a lower part of the passage up to the recess, soas to form a seal with the lower flange 38 fitted into the recess. Thisensures that the contents of the container can only contact the siliconelayer 32 or the silicone straw 34 rather than other parts of the cap 30.Hence, there is no possibility of the contents of the containercontacting the plastics material forming part of the cap 30. By using anon-plastic silicone straw 34, plastic contact with the user's mouth isalso avoided.

Furthermore, the silicone layer 32 covering the inner surface of theplastics cap 30 contacts the rim 12 of the container mouth when the lidis screwed onto the neck 4 of the container so as to form a good sealwith the rim 12 of the mouth of the container.

The plastics cap 30 may also incorporate mechanisms to control fluidcommunication between the inside and outside of the container, such as anon-spill valve or a flip-top lid, whilst still preventing the contentsof the container contacting a plastics material.

Another lid suitable for sealing both single-walled and double-walledcontainers is shown in FIG. 5A. This lid is particularly suitable forsealing containers designed to hold food. The lid includes a plasticsthreaded ring 40 having a thread 42 formed on its inner surface, a cap44 covering the top opening of the threaded ring 40 and a stopper 46attached to the cap 44.

The threaded ring 40 and its inner thread 42 are sized and shaped so asto engage with the outer thread 10 on the neck 4 of the container.Hence, the lid can be screwed onto the neck 4 of the container to sealthe container. In the sealed state, an upper part of the neck 4 isdisposed between the inner circumferential wall of the threaded ring 40and the outer circumferential wall of the stopper 46. The stopper 46 issized and shaped so as to plug the mouth of the container when the lidis screwed onto the neck 4 of the container. The stopper 46 is formedfrom stainless steel, without a plastic lining. The cap 44 serves tojoin the stopper 46 to the threaded ring 40 and forms the upper surfaceof the sealed container. The cap 44 is formed from plastics in thisembodiment.

A ring-shaped silicone plug 48 is provided between the outercircumferential wall of the stopper 46 and the threaded ring 40. Theplug 48 is arranged to contact the rim 12 of the container when the lidis fully screwed onto the container, so as to form a seal between theneck 4 of the container and the stopper 46. Preferably, the seal iswatertight and airtight.

When the single- or double-walled containers described above are sealedwith the lid of FIG. 5A, the inner surfaces of the containers are madeup of the stainless steel inner wall 6, 14 of the container body 2, partof the surface of the stainless steel stopper 46 and possibly part ofthe surface of the silicone plug 48. Hence, there is no possibility ofthe contents of the container coming into contact with plastics and nofear of contamination.

Another lid particularly suitable for sealing containers designed tohold food is illustrated in FIG. 5B. This lid differs from that of FIG.5A in that the stainless steel stopper 46 is replaced by a siliconelayer 56, which covers an inner surface of the cap 44. The siliconelayer 56 forms the top inner surface of the container when the lid isscrewed onto the neck 4 of the container. Hence, the contents of thecontainer are prevented from contacting plastics.

A peripheral part of the silicone layer 56 acts as a plug, forming aseal with the rim 12 of the mouth of the container when the lid isattached in the same way as the silicone plug 48 in FIG. 5A.Alternatively, a separate silicone plug 48 may be provided in additionto the silicone layer 56.

An example of a single-walled container according to an embodimenthaving the lid of FIG. 3A attached to it is shown in FIG. 6. An exampleof a double-walled container according to an embodiment having the lidof FIG. 3A attached to it is shown in FIG. 7. An example of asingle-walled container according to an embodiment having the lid ofFIG. 4 attached to it is shown in FIG. 8.

Since the sipper 22 and straw 34 are flexible and only held in place bythe flanges 24, 26 and 36, 38, they can easily be removed from the lidand cleaned when dirty or replaced when damaged. Although the sipper 22is made of silicone in the above embodiment, this is not necessarily thecase. The sipper 22 may be formed from plastics, with a silicone layerextending across the base of the sipper 22 to prevent the plasticsmaterial contacting the contents of the container.

Although a plastics ring 20 and a plastics cap 30 are preferred, thethreaded lid parts may be formed from any material provided that asecure threaded engagement between the lid and the neck 4 of thecontainer is provided.

An example of a double-walled container according to an embodimenthaving the lid of FIG. 5A attached to it is shown in FIG. 9.

Since the threaded ring 40 is made of plastics, the threaded engagementbetween the lid and the container is a metal-on-plastics contact. Thiscombination of materials provides a more secure and watertight threadedengagement than a metal-on-metal threaded contact. The design of thecontainer and lid allows plastics to be used for the threaded engagementbetween the container and lid without any danger of plastics contactingthe contents of the container.

In the above embodiment, the thread 10 on the neck 4 of the container isstainless steel. This provides the added advantage that a user can drinkfrom the neck 4 of the container with the lid removed without the user'smouth coming into contact with plastics. However, the container thread10 may also be made of plastics. This can be achieved by attaching aplastics collar 50 to the outer surface of the neck 4, the plasticscollar 50 having the thread 10 formed in its outer surface.

FIG. 10 shows a double-walled container according to another embodiment,having the lid of FIG. 3A attached thereto. This container includes aplastics collar 50 having an outer thread 10. The plastics ring 20 ofthe lid is screwed onto the plastics collar 50 attached to the neck 4 ofthe container. Otherwise, this container is the same as that shown inFIG. 7.

FIG. 11 illustrates a double-walled container having the lid of FIG. 5Aattached thereto. The container also includes a plastics collar 50,which incorporates the thread 10 on the neck 4 of the container. Theplastics collar 50 is fixed to the neck 4. The threaded ring 40 of thelid forms a threaded engagement with the thread 10 on the plasticscollar 50. Otherwise, this container is the same as that shown in FIG.9.

When the container thread 10 is made from plastics, the thread on thelid may either be made of plastics or metal so as to provide aplastics-on-metal or plastics-on-plastics threaded contact. These typesof threaded contact also provide a more secure and watertight threadedengagement than a metal-on-metal threaded contact.

In one example, the threaded ring 40 and stopper 46 are formed fromstainless steel. When the thread 10 on the neck 4 of the container ismade of plastics, this provides a plastics-on-metal threaded engagement.A stainless steel lid provides the sealed container with greaterdurability and a higher quality appearance. In this embodiment, theentire lid can be formed as a single piece of metal, the threaded ring40, cap 44 and stopper 46 being integrally formed. Similarly, the ring20 as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B or the cap 30 as illustrated inFIG. 4 can be made from a metal such as stainless steel instead ofplastics when the thread 10 on the neck 4 of the container is made ofplastics.

A container according to the invention may be provided with two or morelids adapted to be attached to the container, thereby allowing thecontainer to perform multiple functions. For example, any of the abovecontainers may be provided with a lid as shown in FIG. 3A or 3B and alsoa lid as shown in FIG. 5A or 5B. The lid of FIG. 3A or 3B can beattached when the container is used to hold drink, whereas the lid ofFIG. 5A or 5B can be attached when the container is used to hold food.The lid of FIG. 3A or 3B and the lid of FIG. 4 may also both beprovided.

As shown in FIG. 12, the container of the invention may be provided withhandles 52. The container of FIG. 12 with a lid attached is shown inFIG. 13. This embodiment is a baby feeding bottle and young child'sbeaker. The handles 52 of the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13 are formedby extending the plastics collar 50 on which the container thread 10 isformed. Hence, convenient plastics handles are provided withoutrequiring an extra component to be manufactured, which contributes toreducing the cost of the container. Furthermore, the handles are firmlyheld between a shoulder 54 formed in the outer wall 16 of the container,the neck 4 of the container and the ring 20 of the lid. This arrangementprovides a strong attachment between the handles and the containerwithout increasing the complexity of the container design.

In an alternative embodiment, the handles 52 may also be detachable,being formed into a ring which fixes over or screws into the plasticscollar 50. This arrangement provides a strong attachment between thehandles 52 and container and also means that the container can easily beadapted for use by older children who do not require handles.

The single-walled container according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1is preferably manufactured in steel using the stretch technique. A waterexpansion technique tends to leave a seam in the inside surface of thecontainer after manufacture. In contrast, the stretch technique leavesno seam in the inner surface of the container. This gives the containera higher quality appearance. Furthermore, it is easier to form curvedcontainers using the stretch technique, which also improves theappearance of the container. However, other manufacturing techniquesincluding the water expansion technique may also be used depending ondesign requirements.

In a preferred embodiment, the container body 2 and the inner wall ofthe neck 4 of the single-walled container are manufactured using thestretch technique as described above. However, the sleeve 8 forming theouter wall of the neck 4 of the container is manufactured using a waterexpansion technique. The sleeve 8 and the container body 2 are joined bywelding after manufacture.

The dual wall container according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 ispreferably manufactured in steel using both a stretch technique and awater expansion technique. The inner wall 14 of the container ismanufactured using the stretch technique, which avoids a seam beingformed inside the container, as in the single-walled embodiment.

The outer wall 16 of the container is preferably manufactured using awater expansion technique. First, a tubular outer wall having an opentop and an open base is manufactured. Next, the inner wall 14 isinserted into the outer wall. The inner wall 14 and the outer wall forma close fit at the neck of the container and are joined around the rim12 of the mouth, by welding for example.

Subsequently, a plate-shaped base section is attached to the outer wallto cover the opening at the base of the outer wall. The base section mayalso be attached by welding. The base section has a hole formed in it,through which foam is filled into the gap 18 between the inner and outerwalls 14, 16. If a vacuum-insulated container is required then the gap18 between the inner and outer walls 14, 16 is evacuated via the holeinstead. Finally, the hole in the base section is sealed.

Although the inner surfaces of the containers above that contact thecontainer contents have been described as being made from stainlesssteel, this is not necessarily the case. Any non-plastics material thatwill not contaminate food or drink stored in the container can be used.For example, the container could be made of another metal such astitanium. The inner surface of the container may also have anon-plastics coating, for example a silicone or latex coating.

Although various components and surfaces have been described above asbeing made from silicone, this is not necessarily the case. Anynon-plastics material that will not contaminate food or drink can beused. For example, the sipper 22 of FIG. 4 could be made of anothermaterial such as latex. Latex is particularly preferred when theinvention is applied to a baby feeding bottle having a teat.

In the above description, at least one of the thread on the neck 4 ofthe container and the thread on the lid is made from a plasticsmaterial. A plastics material is preferred for one or both of thethreads as it allows the container and lid to be manufactured easilywhile providing a secure threaded engagement between them. However, aplastics material need not be used as long as the materials used for thetwo threads cooperate to provide a secure threaded engagement betweenthe lid and the container. For example, either or both of the threadsmay be formed from a rubber material.

In a modification, an additional steel layer is provided around the neckof a double-walled container as described above. In order to control thewidth of the rim of a container, it is necessary to adjust the thicknesseither of the outer wall of the container 8, 16 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) orof the collar 50 having the thread (see FIGS. 10 and 11). However, in adouble-walled container where the thread is formed in the outer wall itmay not be possible to adjust the thickness of the outer wall 16 asdesired because this thickness is fixed to some extent by the requiredproperties of the outer wall of the container, e.g. strength andappearance. An additional steel layer having a thread formed in it maybe provided in order to allow the rim thickness to be adjusted freely.In other words, a third layer of steel may be provided as a neck outerwall around the neck of a double-walled container. For example, plasticscollar 50 in FIGS. 10 and 11 could be replaced by a steel threadedcollar. The collar can be welded to the container outer wall 16 in thesame manner as the sleeve 8 in FIG. 1.

The foregoing description has been given by way of example only and itwill be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that modificationscan be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1-40. (canceled)
 41. A container comprising: a container body having aninner surface formed from a first non-plastics material; a neck forminga mouth of the container; and a lid removably attachable to the neck;wherein a layer of a second non-plastics material is formed across asurface of the lid facing the inside of the container body when the lidis attached to the neck; the layer of the second non-plastics materialextends across the mouth of the container so as to form a seal with theneck of the container when the lid is attached to the neck; the lidincludes a sipper made of a third non-plastics material mounted in anopening formed in the lid; the layer of the second non-plastics materialand the sipper are disposed so as to form a fluid-tight connectionbetween them; the sipper is detachable from the lid; the sipper is heldin place relative to the opening of the lid by upper and lower flanges;an upwardly projecting part is formed on the lower flange; and theupwardly projecting part is adapted to engage with a recess formed inthe lid.
 42. A container according to claim 41, wherein the recess islocated so that when the upwardly projecting part is engaged with therecess, a part of the lid is held between the upwardly projecting partand a wall of the sipper located between the upper and lower flanges.43. A container according to claim 41, wherein the upwardly projectingpart is a rim formed around the perimeter of an upper surface of thelower flange.
 44. A container according to any of claims 41, wherein aplurality of the upwardly projecting parts are provided on the lowerflange.
 45. A container according to claim 41, wherein the firstnon-plastics material is a metal or metal alloy.
 46. A containeraccording to claim 45, wherein the first non-plastics material is steel.47. A container according to claim 41, wherein at least one of thesecond non-plastics material and the third non-plastics material issilicone.
 48. A container according to claim 41, wherein a first threadis formed in an outer surface of the neck and a second thread adapted toengage with the first thread is formed in the lid.
 49. A containeraccording to claim 48, wherein at least one of the first and secondthreads is formed from a plastics material.
 50. A container according toclaim 49, wherein the first thread is made of a metal or metal alloy andthe second thread is made of a plastics material.
 51. A containeraccording to claim 49, wherein the first and second threads are bothmade of a plastics material.
 52. A container according to claim 49,wherein the first thread is made of a plastics material and the secondthread is made of a metal or metal alloy.
 53. A container according toclaim 48, wherein the neck comprises an extension of the container bodyand a collar member mounted around the outside of the extension of thecontainer body, the first thread being formed in the collar member. 54.A container according to claim 53, further comprising a handle attachedto the collar member.
 55. A container according to claim 54, wherein thehandle is integrally formed with the collar member.
 56. A containeraccording to claim 54, wherein the handle is removably attached to thecollar member.
 57. A container according to claim 41, wherein the layerof the second non-plastics material is a base of the sipper.
 58. Acontainer according to claim 41, wherein the layer of the secondnon-plastics material extends into the opening of the lid and forms aseal with the sipper within the opening of the lid.
 59. A containeraccording to claim 41, wherein the sipper includes a lower flange fittedinto a recess in a wall of the opening of the lid, and the layer of thesecond non-plastics material abuts against the lower flange to form theseal.
 60. A container according to claim 41, wherein the container bodycomprises an inner wall and an outer wall separated by a gap.
 61. Acontainer according to claim 60, wherein the gap contains a partialvacuum or a foam insulating material.
 62. A container comprising: acontainer body having an inner surface formed from a first non-plasticsmaterial; a neck forming a mouth of the container; and a lid removablyattachable to the neck; wherein a layer of a second non-plasticsmaterial is formed across an inner surface of the lid facing the insideof the container body when the lid is attached to the neck; and asilicone plug is disposed in a peripheral part of the inner surface ofthe lid, the silicone plug being arranged to form a seal with the neckof the container when the lid is attached to the neck.
 63. A containeraccording to claim 62, wherein the layer of the second non-plasticsmaterial is a silicone layer and the silicone plug is formed by aperipheral part of the silicone layer.
 64. A container according toclaim 62, wherein the layer of the second non-plastics material is astopper and the silicone plug is disposed in contact with acircumferential surface of the stopper.
 65. A container according toclaim 62, wherein the silicone plug forms a seal with a rim surroundingthe mouth of the container.
 66. A container according to claim 62,wherein the entire inner surface of the container is formed fromnon-plastics materials when the lid is attached to the neck of thecontainer.
 67. A container comprising: a container body including asingle metal or metal alloy wall; and a neck defining a mouth of thecontainer; wherein the neck includes an inner wall, which is part of thesingle metal or metal alloy wall, and an outer wall attached to theinner wall at a rim of the mouth; the outer wall overlaps at least partof the inner wall; and a thread is formed in the outer surface of theouter wall.
 68. A container according to claim 67, wherein the outerwall is also attached to the inner wall at a lower end of the outer wallfurthest from the rim.
 69. A food container, drinks container, sportsbottle, beaker or baby feeding bottle according to claim
 41. 70. Amethod for manufacturing a container comprising: a step of manufacturinga metal or metal alloy container body using a stretch technique; a stepof manufacturing a metal or metal alloy neck outer wall having a threadformed in an outer surface thereof; and a step of attaching the neckouter wall to a neck of the container body so that the neck outer walloverlaps at least part of the neck and the thread is formed in an outersurface of the neck of the container.
 71. A method according to claim30, wherein the container body and the neck outer wall are made fromsteel.
 72. A method according to claim 30 or claim 31, wherein the neckouter wall is manufactured using a water expansion technique.
 73. Amethod according to any of claims 30 to 32, wherein the neck outer wallforms part of a container outer wall having a tubular shape, the methodfurther comprising attaching a base section to the container outer wallso as to cover an opening at the base of the container outer wall afterthe step of attaching the neck outer wall to a neck of the containerbody.
 74. A method according to claim 73, further comprising filling agap between the container body and the container outer wall with foamvia a hole formed in the base section after the step of attaching thebase section.
 75. A method according to claim 73, further comprisingevacuating a gap between the container body and the container outer wallvia a hole formed in the base section after the step of attaching thebase section.